We did everything legal to get more on the ball. Some people used 'stickum' on their finger tips. There were also cork finger lifts you could pick up to give your finger tips more traction. I used medical tape. I had to carry a small can of turpentine to clean out my finger holes when I changed the tape. Talk about primitive :-)

I ran into Billy Hardwick at a senior masters event once and his thumb was permanently damaged by what he had used in his thumb holes over the years.

Looking back, I would say most of it was a waste of time. What ever added advantage was achieved, was probably minuscule when put up against the oil that was laid down.

I can remember lining up right of the right gutter and lofting the gutter so the ball came down on the 1-3 board on an angle to the pocket. Occasionally, if the ball was set down too far right, the thumb-hole would cause a slight howl as it rotated over the gutter :-)

We did everything legal to get more on the ball. Some people used 'stickum' on their finger tips. There were also cork finger lifts you could pick up to give your finger tips more traction. I used medical tape. I had to carry a small can of turpentine to clean out my finger holes when I changed the tape. Talk about primitive :-)

I ran into Billy Hardwick at a senior masters event once and his thumb was permanently damaged by what he had used in his thumb holes over the years.

This made me think of a question about today vs. then. Did bowlers develop the same sort of stress injuries to other parts of the body that they do now considering how different the body mechanics are today?

My back in the day would be the mid to late 70s. I used a Dickey Weber 5 Star bowling ball back then. I really did not try to overly hook the ball. I laid the ball down on the 1-2 board with a gradual curve into the pocket. So you can say I played the TWIG almost all the time and was somewhat successful as compared to the competition in my centers at the time.

Interesting that you ask :-) We use to discuss injuries all the time. The objective was to get as much on the ball as possible but not be so radical that our careers would be over by age 40.

First, everyone was throwing 16 pounds. Secondly, nobody had a really high back-swing. Just about everyone tucked their little finger. Our wrists were cocked and our hand was way under the ball with our thumb way right. At the point of release, it would all come unwound. A good analogy would be the motion used to start a lawnmower with a pull rope :-)

Most of my friend ended up wearing wrist braces and forearm straps to unload the stress later in their lives. I still get an injury I've never had diagnosed. My wrist gets really sore dead in the middle. I usually just wear an ace bandage or my bowling glove for a day or too and ice it 2 times a day for at least an hour.

Since going back to 15 pounds, I don't get that injury, but the extra weight can make all the arthritis in my right hand flare up when the weather changes.

At age 70, I can still get 325 RPM's on a good day with 15 pounds. However, it's all catching up with me. I usually only wear a glove when I'm injured. Going to start wearing one more often to prevent injury instead of after I've already injured myself.

This summer, against all logic, I plan to try and throw the ball 2 handed. Nobody my age is doing it. I have trouble bending because of back surgery and that may be something I need. But, my delivery has been so compact for so long, throwing with 2 hands won't be that different. I plan to use weak equipment so I get as much speed as possible. I'll shoot spares one handed. Speed will be the determining factor. If I can't throw fast enough to offset the increased RPM's, I'll discontinue the effort. Or if my back can't handle the load, that will end the effort also.

I'll do that. After scouring the internet, there's very little info on how to get started for someone my age. I'm not interested in just throwing with 2-hands using a normal 5 step. I want the skip step so I can really unload :-) go big or go home :-)

When I practice my normal game, if I leave a big split, I'll use my spare shot to practice the last 3 steps of a 2-handed delivery to get use to the feel. I have a 15 pound 1979 Columbia Blue Dot I use for 10 pins. I've been tossing that.

I should probably get a 13 pound ball to make it easier. For me, bending a little more and holding that body angle and spine tilt is what I'm trying to get use to. Keeping my head right of my shoulders and keeping them in-line is something else I work on. Throwing 2-handed isn't difficult. Throwing 2-handed at a target and hitting it, is :-)

I get behind my normal shot pretty well, but it's like my right hand wants to go faster than my left when I throw 2-handed. I need to have shoulder turn more like golf where everything stay together :-)

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